Those Lovely Fall Premiers

Greetings,  Kittens!

Happy Autumn! I hope you enjoyed the Equinox. Whether you celebrate it spiritually or secularly, after the summer temperatures we’ve had, it was a welcome sight! I love the trappings of fall that have appeared everywhere over the past two weeks, and this weekend in particular. From the pumpkin pies, tarts, drinks and even ice cream, to all things fresh apple, caramel and apple and apple cider, it’s had everything but the leaves changing—but that’s the Southwest for you.

My all time favorite sign of fall would have to be the shows! Although I absolutely love the fact that networks like USA and TNT have created wonderful summer seasons that aren’t to be missed, there’s still nothing quite like the premier of the new fall lineup. To me, it’s akin to that sensation of going back to school as a young kid. There’s excitement, nervousness, a desire to put it off a few more weeks, and a rush to see what’s changed. And just like going back to school, the fall premiers are a chance to see old friends again as trusted shows return, and a chance to make new ones that will hopefully last the year.

This season’s new guys have shown some promise, but this will be the week where everything shows it’s true colors. Much to my delight, this year the colors are skewed heavily towards sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal. Terra Nova premiers tonight with a two hour pilot and more pressure than any new show should carry. In our post-Lost television landscape, there’s been a search for a successor these last two years. Shows like Flashforward and The Event, failed to live up to the mantle, but Terra Nova has been promised as the show to turn all of that around. It has time-travel, dinosaurs, an apocalyptic future and a solution 85 million years in the past. What’s not to like?

On the heels of FOX’s  Terra Nova this week, next week gives us a return to fairy tales in shows like NBC’s Grimm about detectives investigating crimes by fairy creatures, and ABC’s Once Upon A Time where Snow White, Prince Charming and other beloved characters live under assumed/alternate identities in the mysterious New England town of Storybrooke. ABC also has a spring debut in The River, a supernatural thriller even closer to the phenomena of Lost. Not to be left out, NBC also has a midseason paranormal in Awake, about a police detective whose perception is split between alternate realities after a car accident. FOX will greet the midseason with the J.J. Abrams show Alcatraz about a group of guards and prisoners that appear in modern day after disappearing 30 years ago, starring Lost veteran Jorge Garcia.

CBS got a jump on the other networks and tried to make amends for its treatment of Medium with the new show A Gifted Man. This ghostly drama debuted Friday about a surgeon who begins to see his ex-wife’s ghost and is left trying to fulfill her unfinished business. Just an episode in, I have to say that I truly like the supporting cast, the premise works well and the main character—although a complete jerk—has a incredible potential if the writing stays even and on track.

Toddler on the block, the CW went two for two and debuted yet another show based on a L.J. Smith series, The Secret Circle about a bloodline of witches that have been stripped of their powers after a mysterious tragedy sixteen years ago. The teens of these bloodlines have found out about their heritage and finally have a complete circle with the arrival of Cassie, who returns to live with her grandmother after her mother’s death. Two episodes in, this has not yet lived up to Practical Magic meets Dawson’s Creek, and has veered dangerously close to The Craft meets 90210 at points, but it has a likeable cast, gorgeous scenery and a real chance to find success with what it truly is, The Vampire Diaries but with witches. *Grin*

Speaking of The Vampire Diaries, CW saw a strong ratings with the return of it’s third season and even stronger viewership for truly veteran paranormal Supernatural this past Friday for it’s 7^th season. Fox was pleased with the return of Fringe for season four, while ABC is pretending V never happened.

For those of us in love with sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal, it’s a good crop so far this fall, with promise for winter and spring. But we’ve seen a good number of shows, both firmly in the genre spectrum like Stargate Universe, and skirting it’s edges like Pushing Daisies, just drop off the radar, never to be seen again. So I’m hopeful for the new season, but like always, I’m not getting attached until May 2012 upfronts when I know their coming back and even then....

Expect a Thursday Thirteen on the new shows a few months down the line, but for now, this ramble is done, Kittens!

Happy Viewing,

~X

Television Bites!

I must admit, when it comes to T.V., I lean toward the same genre that I write, paranormal. It's action-packed, full of suspense and a little eye candy doesn't hurt the ratings.
Vampire Diaries has Stefan and Damon, although I am personally partial to Damon. His smart-ass comebacks and crooked smile give new meaning to the bad boy persona.









Supernatural has it's own pair of brothers and the plot leans toward the messier aspect of the paranormal world.





Yet my all-time favorite show is still Home Improvement.



When work gets stressful and all the news seems bad, it's nice to escape reality for a while. The paranormal genre entertains my dark side and Home Improvement satisfies the need for happily-ever-after. Its the ying and yang of my television world.

Sidetrack to Destiny

I was watching a rerun of Supernatural (“It's a Terrible Life”), and toward the end an angel urges Dean to get back to what he’s destined to do. Maybe there’s an angel prodding at me, because I’ve really been feeling an urge lately to get back to my destiny: writing.

I took a break from my destiny for a while, in order to get some personal stuff together, and well, maybe have a mini nervous breakdown. But I’m better now, and what I miss the most is being neck deep in a story. Actually, I never totally stopped writing, but what I was doing was sticking a toe in, I want to dive head first into the murky water of a twisted plot, odd and interesting characters, and fascinating creatures. Like, say, Bigfoot. That’s a little different, don’t you think. Hey, I’m known for different, just ask my friends and family.

You know what the most fun of fantasy is, right? It’s the melding of fact with fiction. My next-door neighbors yell at each other at weird hours, and I just smile and say, “They are so going to wind up in one of my books.” Somebody does me or someone I care about wrong, a character with some resemblance to them might just come to a ghastly end. I hear about a really strange event, I might just find a way to twist it so that it fits into my crazy fictional world. Even a childhood bully from long ago is fodder for payback, paranormal fiction style.

Okay, I’ll admit it. My imaginary friends didn’t leave when I grew up, they just became characters. Not that I mind. I enjoy playing with them. They’re a lot of fun, but I really wish I could control them. They have a tendency to want to tell me what to do.

What’s that? Oh, excuse me, I have to go. There’s a Bigfoot at my front door. And he’s yelling at me to tell his story. Ooh and it’s an interesting one too. This is going to be fun.

Have a great weekend!

Cheryel

www.cheryelhutton.com

Another cliffhanger!?!?

It seems to be part of the television industry code for writers: "If you create a cliffhanger, they will return."

Honestly, it's true, but the initial reaction I've been having lately is one of extreme annoyance. TWO of my favorite show have ended their seasons with an unfinished storyline. Possibly more since I've missed a few episodes of others and we don't TiVo.

For SUPERNATURAL it was the tantalizing picture of Dean and Sam standing there, watching as the supreme evil being rose from the earth. For CRIMINAL MINDS it was when one of its leads came face-to-face with a masked gunman. Final sound: a gunshot, then fade to black. A very effective device, btw, and one I was not expecting in the least.

Besides wanting to throw the remote, a part of me wondered if the television industry thinks we are really that fickle? Do they really believe we won't return to a program unless there's a mystery we have to solve? At first I think 'NOT!'...but then the writer in me overcomes the viewer. Um, yeah, I do see the value in keeping fans on the edges of their seats. Doesn't mean I have to like it. ;)

Back to SUPERNATURAL, which is somewhat my guilty pleasure. Both Jared Padalecki (Sam) and Jensen Ackles (Dean) are extremely good-looking -- and much-younger-than-me guys. My favorite character? Dean. Definitely. Add to that the entire realm of supernatural boogeymen (and women), a rockin' soundtrack, and lots of gore... It's not a show I watch with the family. My kids don't like the blood and my dh isn't a big paranormal buff. So this show is mom's time. My little escape. And now I have to wait months to find out just how these two characters will defeat Satan? Ugh!

Well... let's keep this in perspective. As a writer I do understand the inclination to leave people hanging. You want to keep them reading; to keep them watching; to keep them wanting and needing more. I suppose part of my annoyance comes from distant past and such moments as when DALLAS fans raced to their televisions for that first season episode after another season explored who killed Bobby Ewing... only to see Pamela waking up to find Bobby in the shower... alive and well once again. A dream? Are you freaking serious?!?!?

But a cliffhanger done well is a whole other animal. For television, it works -- it annoys, but it works. However, I'm sure I would never use such a device at the end of a book. That just seems too cruel.

Hmmmm, then again...